


Simply Players

by GremlinGirl



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Bickering, Drama AU, Hamlet - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, Hux POV, Injury, M/M, Minor Character Death, Pre-Relationship, Primadonna!Kylo Ren, Stage Manager!Hux
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 06:43:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17157164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GremlinGirl/pseuds/GremlinGirl
Summary: Kylo is the most difficult actor to work with, but somehow Hux always gets the job of wrangling him. He never imagined his career would be comprised of babysitting this manchild. While putting on Hamlet, the two discover they have more in common than first thought, and maybe forge a new understanding that will make life easier on everybody.





	Simply Players

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MistressEast](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistressEast/gifts).



“It’s first dress and we don’t know where our lead actor is. How do you think I’m feeling right now?” Hux didn’t mean to snap, but really, at this point the shenanigans were getting right under his skin. Thirty minutes until curtain, with the director sitting out in the house and everyone in the booth ready to go, it was only backstage that was in pure chaos. “He was signed in earlier. Where could he have gone off to?” Hux asked, marching down the hall to where the sign in sheet was posted. Surely enough, right beside his name was the large KR, looping letters seemingly written by a steady, expert hand. “Ren has always been a lot of things, but he wouldn’t just leave. Surely someone has seen him.”

 

“Not since about forty minutes ago. He went into his dressing room, but when Finn went in to mic him, he was just gone.” Phasma looked as nearly stressed as he was, and Hux could tell she was just waiting for him to turn this around on her and lay into her about losing one of the actors. His ASM was almost as responsible as he was, and Hux had a hard time assuming that she had done anything wrong. But that didn’t change the fact that Kylo Ren was not in the building.

 

They were now standing inside his private dressing room, one of the requirements in his contract, and there was nothing but a makeup kit, a bag of clothes he’d assumedly worn into the theatre, and a cooling cup of lemon-scented tea. Hux pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Alright, I’ll try his cellphone,” he said, after a moment, but Phasma shook her head. She reached down into the bag and produced the phone in question, and Hux could have screamed if his jaw wasn’t set so tight.

 

“Well, his apartment is about a ten minute walk from here. I could send someone on foot, but I don’t know if that would do any good if he’s not there.” Hux looked over toward the mirror for a moment. “He’s clearly wandering around in his goddamn costume, so it should be easy to spot him, if he’s nearby. I swear, when I find him, I’m going to break a brick over his head.”

 

“You’re going to do what to my head?” Kylo eased himself around Phasma, surprising them both as he walked into the room, and Hux glared at his reflection in the mirror as he sat down, not looking at either of them. “Do you mind? I need to finish applying my makeup.”

 

“Phasma, will you go on backstage and get on headset? Tell Dameron I’ll be up in the booth in a bit.” She nodded and hurried out of the dressing room, and he could hear her quiet footfalls slowly stepping away. Eventually, he turned and shut the door, letting it click shut before he turned back to Ren again. The man was simply applying his makeup, as if nothing had happened.

 

Hux watched him smooth foundation on his cheeks, and he noticed that his eyes looked a bit...red rimmed, as if he’d been crying. But that was probably reading too much into things, and frankly, at this point, Hux didn’t care. The emotional well-being of a clearly unstable man wasn’t as important to him as having a smooth first dress. This would be his third, working with Ren, and Hux was determined to break the record for the absolute insanity he always had to put up with. Ren was a menace, a terror, and Hux didn’t understand how he kept getting work.

 

“Where did you go?” he asked, and his anger was barely restrained under his voice. It was like magma bubbling under the surface, and there was a million and one vitriolic jabs he wanted to fling at Ren, until he got some sort of reaction. He had been in more than one yelling match with the large man-child. Hux didn’t like yelling at actors. He didn’t feel it really helped in most situations, even if it would be a bit cathartic. But, somehow, Kylo always broke his restraint and they would end up squabbling like howler monkeys. “Ren. Where did you go?”

 

Turning around, Ren looked up at him from his seat, holding the makeup applicator in one hand. Hux could see his fingers squeezing at the sponge as he considered, and a vein under his eye twitched. “I went outside for a smoke,” he said, sneering.

 

“Bullshit. I would smell it on you. Where were you?”

 

“Does it matter? I’m here now. I was only gone for ten goddamn minutes. I’m not a child, I don’t need anyone to hold my hand! I know what time we start. I know to listen for your announcements. And I had plenty of time to get back here.”

 

“Finn came in to mic you, and you weren’t here.”

 

“I can project!”

 

“Ren!” Hux gripped his hands into fists, shaking his head, and he dragged a hand back through his hair. It was already messed up anyway, and he would have cared if it weren’t for the way Ren was glowering at him. The absolute indignation and disrespect drove Hux to grab the door handle. “After the show, don’t fucking leave. I’m going to come and talk to you. We’re going to...to deal with this. Whatever it is. Your fucking inability to follow simple directions and be where you should be. You are a child, Ren. And if you don’t straighten up, then I will have Phasma holding your hand like a toddler through the entirety of this run.” He left, slamming the door shut behind him before marching back down the hallway and to the lift to take him up to the second floor.

 

Once he got to the booth, Hux marched over to his workstation, turning on the blues to illuminate his tiny area wedged between the lighting board and the soundboard. Dameron looked over at him, giving a small thumbs up and tapping his headset gently. Hux just shook his head, needing another moment of peace before he settled in for the show. He stared down at the cover of his binder, inside his immaculate script. Notes and blocking taken down with a precise hand, each tab a cue, a litany of colors poking from the side. He opened it up to the first page, then leaned down to whisper into the God mic, reminding the actors of the time. After, sliding his headset on, Hux fixed the mouthpiece and stated his name. “Hux on headset. Fifteen minutes until go, house will be open. Let’s go ahead and go into pre-show.”

 

His eyes narrowed a little as he looked at the stage. The red curtains were motionless where they hung, and he let his eyes look over the velvety texture. The lights in house stayed bright, but he could imagine the dimming from behind the curtain. Backstage would be black, the stage would be lit in blue to simulate the moonglow of a frigid winters night with the few orange burning lanterns placed as if sentinels to the brilliant tragedy about to unfold.

 

And, with admission, the play was brilliant. He’d loved Hamlet since his early days as a student, buried deep in the grand delusion of being an actor someday himself, he had imagined what it would be like to play such a classic character. Hamlet was a challenge to portray well, and many of the best had cut their teeth on the role. Hux would like to say that casting Ren was a mistake. However, the gravitas with which he embodied the character, the weight that dipped his lines, the subtleties of his performance...Ren was amazing to behold. When he tried, he could move a room to tears. Hux had seen him do it.

 

It was off stage that he was a terror to work with. With fits and demands and tardiness. Ren always seemed to espouse some excuse or another, and he could complain like a champion. Hux had watched him light a page full of line notes on fire one night, outside their rehearsal space. Other actors found him grating to work with, and for this show in particular, he’d nearly chased poor Miss Tico out of her role as Ophelia. Paige was the perfect actor, a complete juxtaposition to Ren who seemed to live to make others miserable.

 

Hux checked time again. “Actors to places,” he whispered into the God mic, then looked to either side of him at his crew members, nodding his head. “Let’s get started.”

 

* * *

  


A fairly successful run, Hux was pleased to say that there were only a few flubs on the technical side of things. A light that needed to be refocused before the following night, and some sound issues in the mic that he would see to fixing the next day before their second dress, but everything else had gone off without a hitch. However, he couldn’t say the same for the actors. The entire tone had been off, and it only took a glance at the director to know that he wasn’t pleased. Notes would be long and difficult that night.

 

The chatter in the green room started to quiet when he walked in, and he glanced around before walking to the mini-fridge and pulling out a water bottle from inside. Sitting down, he opened up his notebook and sat on the couch. His pencil tapped the top of the page as he waited for the director to come in, though he noticed a few of the actors shooting looks his way. There was annoyance written clearly on their faces, and Hux finally looked up and made eye contact with Amilyn, who seemed to be the most bold. “It’s not our faults, you know,” she said, before he even had a chance to to speak.

 

“What are you talking about?” he asked, exasperated at this point. Hux wanted to go home, type up his rehearsal report, and go to bed.

 

“That shitty run we just did. You know it’s not our faults.”

 

“Okay.” He opened up his water, taking a drink as he scanned the room. Others were staring at the floor, but the tension was palpable enough to slice through it with a knife.

 

“He has an understudy. He could be replaced.”

 

Hux didn’t have to ask who she was talking about. Everyone knew who she was talking about. The elephant in the room...who wasn’t actually in the room. Because, of course he wasn’t. Kylo Ren didn’t have to stay for notes. Kylo Ren didn’t have to show up on time. Kylo Ren didn’t have to listen to stage management, or wear his costume right, or take instruction from the director. No, he was special. So special that the rules of common decency didn’t even apply to him. Hux had told Ren to stick around for him, but he had no idea if the man actually would.

 

“You and I both know that’s not going to happen. Snoke likes working with him.”

 

As if one entity, the cast groaned. Slumped across chairs and leaning on the table, they all shook their heads and muttered. He shushed them all, then looked directly at Amilyn. “I suggest you learn to accept the unfairness of it all if you want to keep your jobs. I don’t like working with him anymore than you do, any of you, but it’s a necessary evil sometimes.”

 

Amilyn would have said more, strong-headed as she was, but Snoke walked into the room. He was as decrepit as ever, and Hux looked away from his form as the man came and took a seat at the table. Setting his water aside, Hux sat poised to take down any notes he needed. He would have a talk with Snoke once they were done here and the rest of the actors had left. He was very tired of putting up with Ren and his issues. If Snoke could be reasoned with at all, this was the last chance he’d have before it was too late.

 

Hux had been right; notes lasted about an hour and a half. Snoke seemed to want to complain about every line-reading in the play. Every actor fell under his insults at some point, and Hux found himself frowning to himself. The man was a fine director, but he was notoriously rude to everyone he worked with. It was no wonder that he seemed to adore Kylo Ren so much. They were cut of the same cloth. Hux didn’t like working with him anymore than he liked working with Ren, but somehow he always got these gigs. The tech notes directed at him were short, blessedly, and everyone was finally dismissed. Now nearly one in the morning, Hux just wanted to lock up and go before his head exploded.

 

He caught sight of Phasma, already locking up the stage doors, so he turned down the hallway toward the dressing rooms, making sure they were locked. He stopped in front of Ren’s room, noticing light spilling from under the door. He swung it open, not expecting to see Ren there. He was sure the man would have left, even though he’d been told explicitly not to. Ren was funny like that, generally doing the opposite of what he was told. Contrary to Hux’s initial thoughts, Kylo was sitting in the room. On his phone, with his feet curled under him on the chair. His hair was pulled back into a bun, and his face was illuminated by the phone screen.

 

“You’re still here?” Hux asked, and if the surprise wasn’t clear in his voice, his hanging jaw was certainly indication of it.

 

Ren glanced up at him. “You said you needed to talk to me. So I stayed.”

 

He composed himself quickly, then closed the door shut behind him. “Ren, your behavior the last few days has been exponentially worse than it has ever been, and I’m desperately trying to understand why.” He walked over, sitting down on the tabletop, fixing Kylo with a withering look.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“You went missing earlier today. You just disappeared. I had no idea where you were, and no one else did, either.” Hux set down his keys and crossed his arms. “If you had run off, what did you expect us to do?”

 

“I was never not going to come back,” Kylo said, and he seemed miffed at the insinuation. Hux was just angry that he’d even disappeared in the first place. “I needed some air. I needed…” He trailed off, sealing his lips shut tightly. It was clear that he wasn’t going to speak anymore.

 

“I imagine you’ll say that we should have just thrown your poor understudy out there tonight, then.”

 

“That would have never been necessary. I was right around the corner.”

 

“Doing what?”

 

“I was…”

 

“What, Ren?”

 

“I just needed some air.” Ren’s eyes drifted, and Hux managed to catch an odd expression in them. It looked sad, hopeless. And this argument, it felt lifeless as well. Usually, at this point, Ren would be on his feet and screaming. Not sitting there like a wilting rose.

 

“Whatever is going on, you need to tell me. It’s my job to know.”

 

“My father is in the hospital. Mom called while I was getting ready to tell me that they’re considering taking him off life support. I needed some air.” Kylo grabbed his bag, standing up and hurrying out the door of the dressing room. If it hadn’t been for the obvious quiver in his voice, Hux might have let him go undisturbed, let the clearly uncomfortable topic drop, but he found himself grabbing his keys and running after the man.

 

“Wait!” He circled around him, blocking Ren’s frenzied exit. He held a hand out, staring at him in confusion. “Your father? Why didn’t you just tell me?”

 

“Because it’s not your or anyone else’s business.” Kylo did manage some venom that time, but Hux wasn’t dissuade so easily anymore.

 

“True, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t help you. If you need time to go see him, then I can make your clal a little later or...or let you go at intermission. If you need to just drop out, you do have an understudy. This is an emergency. People will understand.”

 

“Oh, as if everyone wouldn’t throw a party if I dropped out of the show now. No thanks.” He hefted his bag onto his shoulder with a huff. “I’m not going to give these self-righteous pricks the satisfaction.”

 

“You shouldn’t talk about your fellow castmates that way.”

 

“Oh, you should hear what they say about me.” He snorted, then bumped Hux’s shoulder on the way around them. Hux continued to follow him, even as the lights went out overhead, flickering twice before darkening altogether. “I’m such a whiny baby. I don’t even know my lines. I wouldn’t know good acting if it bit me on the ass. I only get jobs because I’m fucking the director. There’s not a talented bone in my body. They don’t even think I went to school to train. As if that’s not where I met Snoke in the first place.”

 

“You are difficult to work with.”

 

“Yeah? Well, so is Snoke. No one complains about that. But he’s a director. An artist. So it’s fine when he’s rude, when he insults people, or when he acts like the highest and mightiest there ever was.” Ren came to a stop, and Hux nearly tripped over himself at the sudden pause. “What they say about me isn’t even true. So why wouldn’t I live up to the most terrible of their imaginings. If they’re going to call me a brat, then I’ll be one. I’ll meet every terrible expectation they have.”

 

“Doesn’t do much to form a healthy work environment,” Hux muttered under his breath.

 

“Neither does bitching and complaining about every tiny thing that comes along, just because they don’t get their way.”

 

“Oh, that’s rich coming from you. If you don’t get your way, you tend to throw tantrums, Ren. I wouldn’t be preaching on the ethics of accepting your lot when you cry over not getting your own dressing room.” Hux had lost whatever sympathy Ren had garnered with story about his father. Hux no longer cared. He wanted this conversation to be done. Talking to Ren was like pulling teeth from his mouth, then trying to swallow salt.

 

Ren’s eyes averted, and Hux could see the gears in his head turning, thinking up a witty retort. But he didn’t give him the opportunity. Shoving past Ren and heading back down the hallway, Hux pulled his keys from his pocket to lock up the rest of the building. “Don’t be late tomorrow,” he called over his shoulder, then he marched on, uninterested in what else Ren might have to say.

 

* * *

  


The lighting team had gotten there at ten a.m. to make the proper fixes. Hux was watching a genie slushishly make it’s way onstage, wheels whining as it was carefully maneuvered around set pieces. “Don’t fucking run into anything!” he called, and from top of the machine, Dameron sent him an unflattering hand gesture. Hux was still waiting on Finn to show up, but he wasn’t worried about it too badly. If anyone was reliable, it was Finn.

 

Phasma’s footsteps coming up the stairs and into the booth made him look up from his script. Already in her blacks, she flung herself down into the seat beside his and propped her elbows up on the desk. “Crew got all the laundry done last night. But I think Kylo Ren might have worn his boots home or something, because they’re not in his dressing room.”

 

Hux rubbed tiredly at his temples, looking back out at the stage again. “Nowhere to be found?” he asked, with almost a little hope in his voice. He tried to remember if Kylo had been wearing the costume boots during their talk last night, but Hux had been too distracted by his dumb face to look at his feet. “Go and call him. I have a meeting with Snoke in a few minutes.”

 

“Are you fixing the sound with Finn?”

 

“Yeah, if he gets here while I’m still in the meeting, you two can go ahead and start working on it.”

 

“Cool.”

 

Hux stood up, closing his script with a fluid motion, then he picked up his messenger bag and swung it over his shoulder. His button up was loose at the collar, so he did it all the way up as he went to the stairs and started down, then circled around into the access hallway that ran along the side of the theatre building and connected to the offices and dressing rooms in the very back of the building. The director’s office sat snugly between the green room and the production office, with the costume shop opposite it.

 

Lifting his fist, Hux knocked politely on the door before letting himself in when the deep voice beckoned to him. He shut the door quietly behind him, then sat down across the desk which was littered with paperwork. The ancient computer sat on one side, a soft blue glow coming from it, and Snoke was glaring at it through narrowed eyes. Technology wasn’t his strong point. He eventually turned away from whatever he was looking at on the screen, steepling his hands and laying them on the desk.

 

“What can I help you with today, Hux?” he asked, and he was really, really trying not to read any sort of malice into his tone.

 

“I need to speak with you. About Kylo Ren.”

 

An eyebrow quirked. “I hear the whispers about him. The cast is finding him difficult to work with, I presume.”

 

“It’s not just the cast. It’s everyone. He all but admitted to my face last night that he simply has no interest in trying to get along with people. He almost made us late on our run last night by disappearing thirty minutes before we were set to start.” Hux knew this would be an uphill battle, convincing Snoke that Ren wasn’t worth keeping around. But he had a good case. He was sure that he could eventually appeal to the man’s logic.

 

“He did show up again. He was there last night.”

 

“Of course, but it doesn’t change the fact that he diverted my attention away from prepping for the show. Finn had to run back and mic him quickly, and there wasn’t time for a sound check for him. Which is probably why we had such issue with the mics last night.”

 

“That sounds like Finn’s problem. And he’s coming in today to fix it, so I don’t see the problem.”

 

Hux tried to maintain a level head, but the deflections were starting to get under his skin. “He’s a nuisance. He ruined the run last night! He doesn’t bounce off the other actors. He screws them up. The man has no idea how to work with others.” Hux gripped his hand into a fist, feeling hot under the collar. “You can’t put the blame on everybody else. Every show he’s ever worked on, directors, actors, crews, ushers!! They’ve all complained about him, in whatever capacity they’ve had the misfortune to interact with him. The common denominator is him, and his bad attitude. He needs to shape up.”

 

“No, Hux, you need to shape up.” Snoke removed his hands from the desk and stood up. “One thing you need to get through your skull, and beat into the brains of everyone else in this damned place, you’re all replaceable. He’s not. If I have to fire every single soul on the cast and crew and start over from scratch, I will.” He circled around the desk to the door and pulled it open. “Now get the hell out of my office and go do your job.”

 

Hux sat there in absolute shock for a moment, then he gave a stiff nod and stood. Leaving Snoke’s office, he actually flinched when the door was slammed closed behind him. Never in his professional life had he been spoken to that way, and it had ruffled him a bit. Swallowing, Hux made his way back down the hallway, going through the large stage doors instead and walking onto the stage. He found Phasma sitting in the audience, waiting for Finn to arrive. He dropped into the seat next to her and let his bag thumb to the ground.

 

“Didn’t go well?”

 

“Is it that obvious?”

 

“You don’t usually wear your emotions on your sleeve, Hux, but right now you look like you just watched a cat get mowed down by a tractor.”

 

“Thanks for that lovely mental image.” He grimaced, then crossed his arms. “I’m never taking a job with Snoke again. I don’t care if they blacklist me in the entire region. I’ll move. I hate the man with my entire soul.”

 

“So does everybody, but it’s hard to weasel out of working with him. Besides, he’s a really good director. This show is going to be great. If we can survive these next few dress rehearsals.”

 

“Funny choice of words,” Hux mumbled, but Finn walked in before they could continue their conversation. Back to work again, and Hux had to put thoughts of Snoke and Kylo Ren to the back of his mind.

 

* * *

  


“Smooth run tonight,” Phasma said, sitting down beside Hux in the green room. She had a ziplock bag of grapes, and every now and again she’d pop one in her mouth. Hux was really focusing on ignoring her as he scribbled down the tech notes for that night. “Just one more to get through before we open. Then the theater is yours and Snoke will fuck off to who cares where.”

 

“Yes, and I’ll have to deal with Kylo Ren without a buffer again. He always gets worse during runs, you know that.”

 

She shrugged, then nudged his arm, offering her bag of grapes to him. He looked at the fleshy, green fruit for a moment, then shook his head. He didn’t have the stomach for anything too solid at the moment.

 

“Why don’t you make yourself useful and go lock up?” he asked, going back to his notes. “Everyone should be gone already. I know that Snoke was out of here pretty much right after giving the actors their notes.”

 

“Of course he did.” She stood up, sweeping out of the room with a dramatic roll of her eyes. Hux went back to his notes. “Meet you out front?” she asked, and he gave a nod.

 

Ten minutes later, he was standing on the front steps, locking the stage door and laughing lightly at something she’d said. They were both surprised by the appearance of a large figure from shadows, quickly coming up the steps. “Wait, wait, wait,” he said, and Hux huffed in annoyance and the familiar timbre of Ren’s voice. “I left my phone in there!” He stopped in front of the door, off to the side, then gave Hux a pathetic look. Kicked puppy expression.

 

“Where? In your dressing room?” Hux asked, and Ren nodded. He looked very much like like a scolded child, standing in the freezing cold with his nose peaked red and a scarf wrapped tight around his neck. Dressed all in black from head to foot, Ren could have passed for a techie if his attractive, distinct face hadn’t been clearly that of an actor’s. Hux pursed his lips. “Everything’s already locked up. You can get it in the morning.”

 

“Hux, please. I ran all the way back here.”

 

“Too bad, you shouldn’t have left your phone in the first place. It’s careless of you.” Hux shot Phasma a look, and she stuffed her hands in her pockets and shrugged. Kylo looked about ready to cry, and Hux could have mocked him for it. He turned to head down the steps and toward where his car was parked, but Kylo suddenly grabbed his arm, forcing him to pause.

 

Before he could demand to be let go, Ren was whispering in his ear. “It’s the only phone I have, and my mom might call with updates about my dad. Please.” The inflection in his tone was enough to give Hux pause, and when he turned his head to peer into Ren’s eyes, he found they were indeed watery and upset. Sighing, he brushed Kylo’s hand off his arm, then turned back to the door.

 

“Go on without me, Phas. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

“You sure?”

 

“Yes, I’m here. It’s not too much of an inconvenience.” He pulled open the door and ushered Ren inside. Giving Phasma a wave, he followed him back into the dark hallway and let the stage door bang shut behind him. Pulling out his phone, Hux lit their pathway with the flashlight on it. “You really should be more considerate of your belongings, Ren.”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” The tall man walked along beside him, head down and hands tucked deep into the pockets of his pea coat.

 

“I’m serious. Not trying to nag.” He turned the corner, going straight for the dressing room. He wanted this done as quickly as possible so that he could go home, send out rehearsal reports, and go the hell to sleep. Exhaustion was starting to weigh down his shoulders. Hux unlocked the door, and Ren went inside. He emerged with his phone a moment later, and Hux quickly ushered him back toward the stage door.

 

Ren was obviously checking for messages when they emerged back into the cold. Hux pause to lock the door, hearing the footsteps go down the stone steps. The air was crisp, and he dragged his coat in tighter on his chest. Turning, Hux gripped the railing and started slowly descending the steps. Careful, there was ice. Ren was thundering down the middle of the steps without a care in the world. Hux was going to make a snarky comment, but…

 

Kylo’s boot hit an icy patch.

 

The next second seemed to slow down. Ren slipped, his body was obviously top heavy with all that muscle, and it certainly worked against him now. He went headfirst down the steps and landed with a crack at the bottom, eight steps below where he’d started. Hux could only watch the event play out, his eyes wide and his hand gripping the keys inside his pocket.

 

Hux was frozen to the spot until Kylo moved. It could have only been a second later, but it felt like hours between the initial crash and when a short groan left his mouth and his legs shifted. “Holy shit,” Hux said, then carefully hurried down the steps and bent down by Ren’s side. The cold chill shot through his knees as they hit the asphalt, and he cupped his hand against the back of Ren’s neck. He’d landed on his side, and his eyes were looking back and forth quickly. Beside him, his phone, screen shattered.

 

“Fuck, Ren. Are you okay?”

 

“I think so.” His voice slurred, and Kylo’s eyes slowly focused up on Hux. “I fell. I fell down.”

 

“Yeah, I would say so.” Hux slipped his hand around, feeling in Kylo’s hair, trying to lift him up to sitting. Eventually, Kylo complied with his urging, and they got him up. But Hux’s hand came away bloody. “Shit. Ren. Look. Fuck. Fuck!” He stood up, then looked out toward his car. This late at night, traffic wouldn’t be too bad. Probably. “I’ll drive you to the hospital. Come on. Up!” Grabbing at Kylo’s arm, Hux pulled.

 

“Don’t wanna go to the hospital.” Kylo stood anyway, nearly slipping again and taking them both down. But Hux what Hux lacked in muscle, he made up in sheer determination. With a few grunts, he managed to get Kylo standing, then he scooped his phone up from the ground and slid it into his pocket.

 

“No. Fucking. Choice.” Pausing between each worth to suck in a blast of cold air, Hux started guiding Kylo out to the car parked several rows back. He wished he’d made Phasma stick around, if only to help him lug the refrigerator of a man to his car. “Get in,” he said, opening up the passenger seat and shoving Kylo down. Out of breath and shivering with the cold, Hux circled around the car and got into the driver’s side. He threw his laptop bag into the backseat, then peeled out of the parking lot and onto the road. “Just stay awake,” he said, glancing over at Ren who was staring blankly out the front windshield. “Hey! Talk to me.”

 

“I’m fine,” he said, jerking his head around. Hux saw him wincing out of the corner of his eye and grabbing at his injured head. Hux wasn’t a doctor, and he didn’t know a lot about head wounds, but he didn’t think it was good that it was still bleeding. Kylo’s hair on the right side of his head was darkening with blood, and the curls were matting up and clumping together. Sticky and wet, when Kylo combed his fingers through the strands, they came away red and bloody.

 

“You’re not fine,” he found himself whispering, and the horror of it was dawning on him. Snoke’s words seemed to ramble in the back of his head, thunderous as drums. ‘You’re all replaceable. He’s not.’ Kylo fell silent, and Hux turned his head to find him slumping over against the window with his eyes closed. “Damn it,” he hissed out, under his breath, then he reached over and grabbed Kylo’s giant shoulder and shook him. “Come on. Wake up. Wake the hell up.”

 

Kylo only woke enough to groan some obscenities at him, and Hux hit the gas to push his poor car faster than he would usually ever drive. He was right about the traffic, though, and he slammed into a parking space near the emergency room about ten minutes later. Throwing himself out of the car, he ran inside and up to the front desk, telling the desk attendant that he had an injured man in his car. He took them out, watching as a group of nurses who seemed each stronger than him, lifted Kylo out of the passenger seat and put him on a stretcher. Hux followed them back inside numbly, then dropped onto a seat in the waiting room. No sleep tonight, he thought somberly, glancing over to the sniffling child sitting a row away. The coughing man behind him. The ghostly pale woman who shook while clinging onto her crutches. Emergency rooms had never been a fun place to be.

 

Eventually, Hux’s mind came back to him, and he pulled out his phone and called Phasma. He managed to get her, and his breath escaped him in a rush. “Sorry, I know you’re already in bed. Probably. I…” His mouth was dry, and he felt terribly worried. “Ren, accident. He slipped on ice and cracked his damn skull open. I drove him to the hospital. I’m going to stay. If we have to switch him out for his understudy, then we’ll need to know. Fuck this.” The mother sitting across from him shot him a look, and Hux got up and walked into the very corner of the waiting room where no one would overhear him.

 

“Do you need me to come?” Phasma asked, her voice crackling through the static of a bad connection. Of course there wouldn’t be a good connection in the hospital. Probably no wifi, either. He’d have to ask. If he could work on his rehearsal report in here, then he would like to be able to do that.

 

“No, no. Just. I need you to call Snoke. I know that he’s going to be mad. He’s going to yell at you. Tell him to come here if he wants to. We’re at St. Vincent’s.”

 

“Will do. I’ll type up the rehearsal report, too.”

 

“Thanks, Phas. You’re the best.”

 

“Oh, I know. Just take care of our star. If he dies. Snoke is going to have your head.”

 

“Don’t even joke,” he muttered, then hung up the phone to the sound of Phasma laughing at him. He put the phone back into his coat pocket, then headed over to the small coffee machine on the other side of the waiting room, pouring himself some of the dark liquid into the paper cups provided. He took a sip. It was lukewarm, and he nearly gagged at the taste. Weak and without the kick he really needed, just fully bitter and disgusting. But, this wasn’t the time for complaining, he went to sit down again. To wait.

 

Thirty minutes later, he felt the vibration of his phone, and he reached his hand into the pocket to pull it out. Instead, he found Ren’s phone was the one ringing, and he held it for a moment. The screen was pretty much broken to hell, but he could see the name displayed. ‘Mommy’ It was almost enough to make him smile, but the situation soon solidified in his head. Ren’s father was in the hospital and he was waiting for updates.

 

Hux answered without thinking much more about it. “Hello? Kylo’s mother? Sorry, I’m Hux. His stage manager.”

 

“Where’s Ben?”

 

He paused at that, just gripping the phone to his cheek, his ear against the speaker. “Ben? Right, his real name, I’m assuming? I guess I only know him by Kylo.” He swallowed. “I’m sorry, ma’am. He can’t come to the phone. There was an accident. I’m in the waiting room right now.”

 

“Accident? What kind of accident? Is he okay?”

 

“I...don’t know.”

 

“Where is he? What hospital?”

 

“St. Vincent’s.”

 

“Okay, I’m coming down. What do you look like.”

 

“I’m the one with red hair, in a brown plaid patterned coat.”

 

She hung up on him, and Hux slowly slipped the phone back into his pocket. He would have explained more, but the connection was so bad, and this was all starting to make him worry more and more. It had been awhile since they’d taken Ren back. He should have known something by now. But, he wasn’t technically family, or even a friend, so there was no reason that he would be told anything. Rubbing at his eyes, Hux considered leaning against the wall for a nap, but that wouldn’t do anyone any good at this point.

 

He stood up to throw his half-drank coffee away, pausing at the trash can because he could see the elevators from here. The doors opened, and a short woman with long hair tied back in a braid exited from them. She looked exhausted, and Hux felt almost silly for thinking about how tired he was. He hadn’t been here for an hour. She’d probably been here for days, if not weeks. Honestly, Hux knew before she even got to him that this was Ren’s mother. They had the same eyes, carried themselves the same. She spotted him with pinpoint accuracy and began making her way towards him.

 

“Armitage Hux,” he said, introducing himself as she approached, and he held out his hand. She shook it, but there was no trace of geniality on her face. A worried mother, and he wouldn’t fault her for it.

 

“What happened?” she asked, looking up at him as a stern school teacher might.

 

“He slipped on ice while leaving the theatre tonight. I...I drove him here because I didn’t know what else to do.” He swallowed. “His head was bleeding pretty badly, and he seemed out of it on the drive over. They haven’t told me anything yet.”

 

“We’ll see about that,” she said, then turned on her heel and marched toward the front desk. Hux stayed back. This was family time now, and he really had no business trying to get back to see Ren. He’d do so later, when things were more stabilized. The only reason he was here was to see if he needed to replace Ren in the show or not. That’s what he kept telling himself, anyway. ‘You’re all replaceable. He’s not.’ Snoke seemed to worm into all of his thoughts regardless of what he did, and Hux tilted his head back and rested it on the wall behind him.

 

Kylo was going to be fine, and he’d be back to his annoying self the next day. Throwing water bottles in the green room and whining about memorization deadlines. Hux would be cursed to work alongside him for the rest of his career. He had to believe that, because his mind was haunted with the idea that he wouldn’t be fine. It had been a brief fall, that’s it. How bad can it be?

 

The seat beside him rocked as someone sat down, and Hux peeled his tired eyes open to look over at the woman beside him. Her braid was a bit unkempt, he realized, as if she’d thrown it up in a hurry and rushed out the door. A thorough possibility considering where she’d come from. Upstairs. Probably an ICU.

 

“Any word?” he asked, and she gave him a tired smile. He felt a hand settling on top of his where it rested on the armrest. A motherly gesture if he’d ever seen one, and her wise eyes turned upwards to him. He found himself sitting up under her gaze, trying to straighten himself out a bit.

 

“He fell asleep, so they’re going to take him up for an MRI. The cut doesn’t look like it needs stitches or anything. Head wounds just bleed a lot.” She gently curled her fingers around his wrist, smiling at him comfortingly. It was that moment that Hux realized he must look incredibly worried if she was trying to comfort him. He cleared his throat, schooling his face back into a more neutral expression.

 

“I hope I did the right thing.”

 

“I’m sure you did.”

 

“Snoke will kill me if something happens to him.” He shook his head. “I might just kill myself.”

 

Her brow furrowed. “It’s not that serious. Is he still working with Snoke?”

 

Hux gave her an odd look. “Snoke is the only director he ever works with. They’re sorta a package deal. I think I’m part of that package as well, because no one else will stage manage Snoke’s shows.” He shook his head, hardly in the mood to try and explain all of this. “I never caught your name. You’re just saved as Mommy in Ren’s phone, so…”

 

She smiled, nodding her head. “Leia. Call me Leia.” Finally, she removed her hand from his arm and leaned back in the seat to cross her legs. “I think he’s mentioned you. Prissy, British stage manager.”

 

“I am not prissy.”

 

“I never said you were.” She smirked. “But he certainly has. Ben has a lot to say about you.”

 

Hux rolled his eyes. “We’ve never gotten along. I didn’t even know his real name was Ben. The first show we worked on together, he poured coffee on my laptop because he didn’t like my tone in emails.” Hux grimaced. “Not to say that he isn’t a brilliant actor. I suppose I can understand why Snoke puts up with him and vice versa. But I didn’t think my career would be jumping from show to show with them like a mini circus act.”

 

“Yes, it was Snoke’s idea to call him Kylo Ren. I never understood that. I think that Ben Organa is a fine name for an actor, but what do I know? I run a non-profit. I know nothing of the arts, right?” She chuckled, and Hux got the hint that this was something they’d talked about before. He could imagine the exact conversation, with Ren sneering at his mother and stamping off like the overgrown child he was. This was a woman with class, clearly, and she certainly deserved better than Ren.

 

“He’s a bit of a snob, but I think we all have a touch of it in our blood.” He gave a tight smile. “I don’t mind waiting down here if you want to go be with your husband,” he said, softly, turning to look at Leia with a sympathetic nod. “I imagine this time is hard for you.”

 

Her smile faded, and she glanced up at the ceiling. “Well, Han is long gone. He doesn’t know if I’m there or not. The only reason he’s still on life support is...well, I wanted Ben to have a chance to come and say goodbye to him. He’s impossible, though. I think he feels that seeing his father like that will make it all too real for him.”

 

Shifting, Hux cleared his throat and gave a short shrug. He didn’t want to speak on Ren’s father, because he didn’t feel it was any of his business. And it was awkward and uncomfortable, considering that he and Ren were far from being friends. He considered him an annoyance most of the time, but Hux supposed that he wouldn’t like it if Ren became even more surly after his father’s death. “I lost my mother when I was ten. I know...I know how hard it can be, so...I at least can feel for him a bit.”

 

“I lost both my parents when I was a child as well,” she said. “Ben is lucky to have had us as long as he has. But Han has been sick for a long time, and I feel it selfish to try and hold onto him for much longer. I just want Ben to say goodbye, that’s all. He’ll regret it for the rest of his life if he doesn’t do it.”

 

Hux nodded his head, crossing his arms over his middle and glancing away. It wasn’t his place, and he didn’t want to be having this conversation. And, luckily for him, it was cut short as a tired looking nurse walked over and said that Leia could go back and see her son. Hux just settled in as she stood, expecting to have to wait this out, but he was surprised to find Leia gripping his arm and hauling him up to his feet.

 

“Oh, no. You’re not getting out of this that easily. Come on. You need to come and see him, make sure he’s alright. That’s your job.”

 

“I’m hardly a babysitter,” he said, protesting weakly, but it was impossible to not follow along after her as they were lead through the swinging doors into the emergency room and around a corner to a row of rooms set up for observation purposes.

 

“Aren’t you, though?” she asked, and Leia gave him a knowing smile.

 

The nurse shuffled them into a small room, with only a bed and a few monitors inside, and she shut the door behind them. Kylo was on the bed, with white gauze wrapped around his head. He was sitting up, looking at least a little less dazed than he had before. There was a cup of green Jell-O in his hands, but he didn’t seem to be strongly focused on eating it. He wondered if the nurses had given it to him because he seemed like a child, or if it was just standard procedure. Perhaps Kylo had requested it specifically.

 

His eyes lifted, then widened, and he cast a withering look to Hux. “You called my mom?” he asked.

 

“Oh, calm down. No. She called me, and I told her where you were. By the way.” He pulled Kylo’s phone out of his pocket and walked it over, sliding it onto the bed beside him. “I’m just here to make sure you’re doing okay,” he said, then moved backwards and out of the way as Leia came over.

 

She gently touched his chin, then tilted his head up to look at him. He seemed to quiet under her touch, calmer, and Hux watched as she picked at the gauze to try and see the damage underneath. It was an incredibly sweet, quiet moment, but Hux found the need to look away and let them have it. Family had never been easy for him, and he hadn’t expected Ren of all people to come from such a clearly loving one. It would almost make it better, if he was the way he was due to be beaten as a child, but it seemed he was just rude and entitled because he wanted to be.

 

Hux shoved himself into a corner, trying to be smaller than he was, honestly wishing that the wall would swallow him and he’d wake up in his bed at home. A doctor came in, white coat swishing around him, and Hux stood up a little straighter to look at the man curiously. He found himself needlessly straightening his collar, smoothing his heavy coat down.

 

“Hi,” he greeted, much too friendly for two in the morning. The chart in his hand was all Hux really cared about right now. “I’m guessing this is our patient, and these two are…?”

 

“My mom. My stage manager. I’m an actor. I just need to know if I have a concussion.”

 

“Well, no. It looks like you’re fine on that front.” The doctor came over, then gently moved Kylo’s bandaging down so he could look at the injury, in much the same way Leia just had. “Don’t even need stitches. But, we’re going to want to keep you overnight for observation. Just to make sure there’s no complications. Tomorrow, we’ll release you with a clean bill of health.”

 

Hux found himself sighing in relief, because really, he’s unsure Snoke wouldn’t have strangled him to death if something had happened to Kylo Ren on his watch. Leia walked with the doctor into the hallway to deal with payment, and Hux gave her a polite nod before coming over to the bed. Kylo was stirring the little, plastic spoon through his Jell-O. “Well, since you’re not dying, I think I’ll be going,” he said.

 

“You’re leaving me?” Kylo asked, and his head shot up swiftly. Swiftly enough that Hux saw him wince and close his eyes for a moment. He let out a quiet groan. “Why don’t you just...convince them that I can go home. I don’t need to actually stay. Can you drive me home?”

 

The questions made Hux shake his head. “No, you’re going to lay there and do what the doctors tell you.” It took him a moment to choose his next words, but he still regretted them as soon as they came out. “I could swing back by and get you in the morning, taking you home before I have to be at the theatre.” Kylo was looking at him, and Hux found himself staring back into his dark eyes. Maybe really looking at him for the first time. Kylo was nervous. Why was he nervous? “Ren, what’s wrong?” he asked, quietly.

 

“My dad. He’s upstairs.”

 

“Yes. Your mom is probably going to go back upstairs, right?”

 

“I’ll have to go see him in the morning.”

 

Hux, slowly, sat down on the end of the bed and unbuttoned his coat. He rubbed at his eyes, tiredly. “Why’s that a bad thing, Ren? You’re an adult. It’s time to act like it. If not for him, or for you, do it for your mother. She seems to think it’s important.”

 

“I can’t. I can’t see him like that.”

 

Comforting wasn’t one of his natural inclinations, but Ren seemed close to tears. He reached out, taking the cup of mushy Jell-O from him, and he put it to the side so that he could take his hands instead. Hux held onto them, watching as Kylo slowly gripped them back and squeezed his eyes shut. “When I was...um, huh. When I was ten years old, my mother was in a car accident. Back in Ireland, which is where I’m actually from, you know. She was in the hospital for a few days afterward, but her brain was swelling, and it was really only a matter of time. I was really her only next of kin, because her and my father weren’t married or anything. He dragged me to the hospital to see her, but I couldn’t go in the room. I didn’t want to see her. Like that.” Hux reached up and rubbed at his eye, not wanting to cry in front of Ren of all people. “She died, ten minutes after we left. I never got to say goodbye to her. She died alone, in a hospital room. It’s the thing I regret the most in my life.”

 

Ren looked at him again, and his eyes were wet. It made them look darker, and Hux pursed his lips uncertainty. Ren had a dark beauty to him, a brooding energy that highlighted his features. From the raven tresses that curled atop his head, the prominent nose that sat in the middle of his face, his full lips that frowned and pouted, and his eyes that were deeper than any Hux had ever seen. He’d never stopped to take the time to appreciate Ren before, and maybe he should have. There was a reason that Snoke liked casting him, his talent and his attractiveness were both parts of that. Somehow, sadness became him. And it made Hux pause.

 

“Do you think I’ll regret it, then?” he asked. His damp eyes blinked, and Hux reached out and cupped his cheek. He caught the tear that escaped, brushing it away with his thumb.

 

“I think you will.”

 

Ren looked down, but he leaned into the hand on his cheek. Hux stroked at his skin, softly. His movements were deliberate as he slid closer across the bed, patting Kylo’s knee gently. “It’s hard. I know. I wouldn’t judge you, no matter what decision you make. But, I do think you should go and see him. For yourself, for your mother. Whatever convinces you, because it’s something that’s going to haunt you if you don’t.”

 

“Will you go with me?” he asked.

 

“To-to see your father?”

 

“I mean, just, walk me up there? In the morning?”

 

“Oh.” Hux cleared his throat, retracting his hand swiftly. This was all growing to be a little much for him, but Kylo’s eyes lifted to observe him again. Hux’s hearty melted, and his usually icy expression warmed. “Sure. I can walk you up.”

 

“You’ll stay the night, then?”

 

“Why...why do you want me to stay the night?” he asked, then looked over toward the door. “I doubt they’ll even let me, I mean...I’m not family or anything, and I think hospitals usually have rules about that sort of thing.”

 

“I just don’t want to be alone.” Kylo’s brow furrowed, and he reached up, brushing his fingers over the gauze wrapped tightly about his head. He picked at it petulantly, and Hux reached up, grabbing his hand to keep him from tearing it off or something. “I don’t know how to explain it. I like having you around.”

 

“Oh, do you? I was always under the impression that you hated me.”

 

Kylo shook his head, then winced, then nodded. “I don’t know. I hate most people. I find them worthless and tiresome, and most of them aren’t very smart. You’re pretty nice to have around, though, if only because you’re not afraid to yell at me. We’re not friends or anything, but I don’t think I want to hate you anymore.”

 

“I don’t want to hate you, either.” It surprised him, that he said that, but Hux stuck to it. He squeezed Kylo’s hand comfortingly, then slid off the bed. He grabbed a chair from the corner and pulled it over to the bed, sitting down and crossing his legs. “You try to sleep. I’ll stay, unless someone comes in and kicks me out. If so, I’ll be here at six in the morning to get you. And take you up to see your father.”

 

Ren rolled onto his side and laid down, dragging the think hospital blanket up around him. His massive shoulders curled into his body, and Hux found his posture quite endearing. Kylo’s eyes shut, and he let a smile play over his full lips. “Well, goodnight then,” he said, softly.

 

“Hey, Ren,” Hux asked, chewing on his lip softly. Dark eyes opened again, and he leaned closer, crossing his arms and settling them on the mattress. He rested his chin atop them, tilting his head so that he was making eye contact with Kylo. “Why do you go by Kylo Ren instead of your real name.”

 

He snorted. “You ever heard of a famous actor named Ben?”

 

“Ben Affleck.”

 

“Okay, but a good actor.”

 

Hux laughed, then shook his head. “I’d have to think about it.”

 

“Exactly. Ben is so bleh, and I’m not bleh. I’m amazing. So I have to have an amazing name.”

 

“But Kylo Ren?”

 

“It was Snoke’s idea. He came up with it.” Kylo yawned, shutting his eyes again. “It’s my name now. Only Mommy gets to call me Ben.”

 

“Alright, then I’ll keep calling you Ren.”

 

“Or Kylo. If you want.”

 

“Kylo, then.”

 

He wasn’t sure if Kylo even heard his reply, because his mouth had gone slack, partially open, and his face was peaceful. Hux stayed where he was, leaned over the bed and resting his head near to Kylo’s. It didn’t take him long to fall asleep, because he was exhausted, and the springy bed under him was just as comfortable as his couch at home anyway. Tired as he was, Hux was just surprised he hadn’t collapsed earlier.

 

In the morning, Hux woke to a stiff neck and an aching back, but Kylo had somehow worked his fingers into his hair and was holding onto him. Blinking his eyes against the light, he sat up and brushed the hand away with a groan. He felt disgusting. Yesterday’s clothes stuck to him, his breath had to be terrible, and his hair was a greasy, unwashed clump on his head. But, Kylo looked serene. His hair fell in messy waves around his face, the gauze wasn’t blooming red like he expected. There was no bleeding underneath anymore.

 

The rush to get Kylo up and discharged had him tapping his toe impatiently, because he kept looking at his watch and wondering if he was going to have time to make it home in time for a shower. He did text Phasma, and she told him not to panic if he had to be an hour late. Everyone was handling whatever last minute tech needed to be done, but Hux was such a control freak, the idea of not being there was putting him on edge.

 

Kylo loped out to meet him by the elevators eventually, looking fresher than he should have been able to. He was still in yesterday’s clothes, but he’d been changed into a hospital gown to sleep in, so they weren’t rumpled and messy like Hux’s were. Kylo’s head bowed, and Hux remembered what he’d promised. They slowly boarded an elevator, standing shoulder to shoulder as the doors closed.

 

“This is going to be hard,” Kylo said, and Hux merely gave a nod. “Thanks for walking up with me, but...you don’t have to stick around after. I can get a cab home. I know that you have to go shower and things. My call isn’t until this evening, so…” He sighed, and Hux reached out and patted him on the back. His hand slid a little lower, resting on the small of his back. Kylo didn’t move away,

 

“I’ll stick around,” Hux said, and he seemed to forget what he’d been worried about before. Being a few minutes late seemed petty in the face of this, and he almost felt bad for worrying about it.

 

Kylo’s face scrunched up, then he looked over with the beginning touches of a smile. “Does this change things between us?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Are we friends now?”

 

“Sure.” Hux shrugged. “Better than being enemies, isn’t it?”

 

“Yeah, I guess.” Kylo knocked his shoulder lightly, and Hux swayed with the movement. He was too tired to resist. Sleeping sitting in a hospital chair didn’t lend to the most restful experience. “I kinda like bickering with you, though.”

 

“Oh, well they’ll still be plenty of that.” Hux grinned. “Always room for bickering between friends. But, maybe you can stop acting like a primadonna and make my life a little easier, huh?”

 

“I wouldn’t bet your paycheck on it.”

 

They laughed together, and Hux thought it was the first time he’d enjoyed a simple back and forth conversation. Even with Phas, they weren’t really friends, just colleagues. This felt more genuine. But the moment evaporated as the doors opened onto the ICU floor, and Kylo slowly walked off. Hux gently took his hand, and eyes fell on him immediately, but he just held back tighter, not letting go. He wished he’d had this for himself, on the day he’d come to say goodbye to his mother.

 

“He’s in room 728,” Kylo said.

 

They walked down the hallway, and Hux paused outside the door. He gave Kylo’s hand a comforting squeeze, then let him go. He watched him walk inside, and a few seconds later, Leia stepped out and shut the door behind her. Her eyes were red rimmed, but Hux didn’t comment on it. He gave her a silent nod and moved away, sitting down to wait for Kylo to emerge.

 

He never thought he’d be here, standing in a hospital hallway, shoes contrasting darkly against the white floors as he waited for Kylo Ren to say goodbye to his father. He wondered if he’d come out in tears, if there would have to be consoling involved, or if he would bottle it all up and not wish to talk on it. In the end, it didn’t matter. Hux would be here for him, whatever he needed. Leia walked to him, gently touching his arm to get his attention.

 

“Thank you,” she said, and he could hear the emotional tremor in her voice.

 

“It was the right thing to do,” he said, softly. “But I couldn’t make him come up here, even if I wanted to. He had to make the choice on his own.”

 

“Ben’s always needed a push in the right direction. Maybe you can be that for him.”

 

Hux shrugged. “I think, for now, I just want to be his friend. We’ll see where it goes from there.”

 

She smiled at him, then walked back into the room and shut the door again. It was a private moment, one he wasn’t privy to, but he didn’t need to be. He knew what words would be exchanged, he knew what placations and comforts would be offered. And, when all was said and done, he’d be here. For Kylo Ren. Even though he never thought he’d be. Life was crazy sometimes. Hux was going to roll with the punches, because it’s all he could do.

 

His phone was filled with messages from Snoke, but he didn’t call the director back just yet. Instead he waited, silent and ready to welcome his new friend into his arms.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Heeey, so Merry Christmas!! I hope you like this. The plot got away from me a bit, so it's less about the show itself and more about Emotions and Feelings, but I do like where it ended up going. I left it open ended so that you may end up with more gift fics in this AU verse in the future. Hope you enjoy!!


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